The secret to creativity: Background noise? - The Week

Darn! I was hoping this article would suggest music as acceptable background noise for fostering creativity. I'll keep looking for that research!

Anyway, a new paper published in the Journal of Consumer Research says the perfect working environment should buzz with a little ambient noise.

The article goes on to describe how much background hum is optimal and answers this question:

Why does background noise foster creativity?

The authors of the study say that moderate background noise creates just enough of a distraction to force people to think more imaginatively, without breaking their focus so completely that they can't think at all. "Instead of burying oneself in a quiet room trying to figure out a solution,"the authors write, "walking out of one's comfort zone and getting into a relatively noisy environment may trigger the brain to think abstractly, and thus generate creative ideas."

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This article is featured in today's (June 28) Creativity Connections paper, available at the Creativity tab above -- and by free email subscription.